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Carrick development officer
recommending refusal of the application. |
We have learned that the Development Officer at
Carrick Council, Mr. Tim Marsh, is going to recommend to Carrick
Council Planning Committee that this application be refused. It
is not yet known whether it will be referred to the full Carrick
Council Planning Committee for a decision.
If this application does go to the Carrick Planning Committee,
it is expected that it will be on the agenda for the meeting to
be held in Truro, on 11th February. Members of the public are allowed
to attend this meeting and designated speakers will be allowed to
address the Committee. representatives of Save Our Foreshores will
be applying to speak at this meeting.
Once again, it is vital that we make our views known to the Carrick
Planning Committee Members. If this meeting does take place, we
will need the best turnout yet. Mark your diary for the 11th Feb.
.............We will keep you informed.... |
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Falmouth Town Council Special
Meeting - Thursday 18th December |
There was a special meeting of the Falmouth Town
Council planning committee on Thursday 18th December. Over 50 members
of the public from Falmouth and Flushing attended. There were only
5 planning committee members in attandance and one of those declared
an interest and therefore absented himself from the actual meeting
and the voting.
Prior to the meeting, from 6:00 pm to 6:30 pm, the developers presented
their case to the Councillors, in private. From 6:30 to 7:00 pm
the public were able to give their views, and then the meeting itself
commenced, during which two nominated speakers from our group were
able to address the Councillors briefly.
The meeting itself was quite short. Councillor Varney proposed that
as they had not yet had various reports from bodies who are being
consulted, eg. the Highways Dept., that the committee defer the
decision to a later meeting. No date was given for this meeting.
The decision to defer was not popular with those who attended and
many wondered why the Town Council had gone ahead with it. In conversation
after the meeting with Councillors, we were told that if the meeting
had not been held at all, Carrick Council planners would have assumed
the Town Council planning committee had no objections. |
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The Greenbank Hotel showed
the revised, finalised plans for their proposed development on Tuesday
9th December |
The public showing of the plans for this development on Tuesday
9th December was well attended, and the Save our Foreshores Group
set up a stand opposite the hotel to help to spread the message
that this development is strongly opposed. |
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The developers showed the revised architectural
plans, however unlike the previous showing of the plans in August,
there were no close-up views of what the development would actually
look like. This despite the major changes the developers say they
have made to those original plans. The long-distance views that
were exhibited showed the piers, with two storeys of apartments
on top, at about an inch high on two large and rather dull printouts.
Why will the developers not show understandable
sized 3D or computer-generated representations of this development,
particularly at low water? Is it because that would show just how
inappropriate it is? No feedback forms were given out by
the developers at this showing of the finalised plans. |
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From our emails |
"As a Cornishman whose family have lived on
the Carrick Roads for generations I was appalled to learn of the
proposed expansion of the Greenbanks Hotel into and along the river,
and wish to object in the strongest possible terms. This estuary
and harbour are unique in terms of their natural beauty, biodiversity
and navigation benefits, and to implement a scheme such as this
would be nothing short of environmental vandalism. I trust and expect
that the council will reject it and send a clear message to developers
that any investment in infrastructure can only be allowed if our
heritage environment is unsullied by it" (part
of an email to Falmouth & Carrick Councils) |
"We visit Falmouth regularly and cannot
believe such a beautiful place could be marred by allowing building
along the Foreshore. We had our Wedding Reception in the Greenbank
Hotel, 20 years ago, and have since returned to the area on an annual
basis. Although we are not residents of Falmoutn we would like to
register our strong objection to such a development. It will ruin
the view from both the shore and the river. Surely there are enough
places to build, on land, without cluttering up the shoreline. Once
it is built it cannot be reversed. "
(part of an email from Ireland to Falmouth & Carrick Councils) |
"I'm totally opposed to this development,
principally on biodiversity conservation grounds and will be making
representations to this effect to Carrick. Happy to lend my expertise
as a marine biologist to the cause if anyone wants to contact me
to discuss any aspect of this. Of particular relevance here is the
Fal & Helford Special Area of Conservation (SAC), which imposes
a strong presumption (with legislative backing) against loss and
degradation of intertidal and subtidal habitats."
(part of an email to Save our
Foreshores) |
"I completely disagree with the monstrosity
of a development by Greenbank Hotel. You, as the representatives
of the people of Falmouth, must listen to their voices, and do all
in your power to oppose this dreadful development." (part
of an email from a Flushing resident to Falmouth & Carrick Councils) |
"As a regular visitor to Falmouth I am
writing to express my strong objections to the above proposed development.
In my view it would be a major step towards the destruction of the
character of this part of the Penryn River. In addition there are
issues with parking, wildlife and traffic, any one of which on their
own would, I think, be enough to rule out development on this site."
(part of an email from a Kent resident
to Falmouth & Carrick Councils) |
"Thank you for preparing this material.
In Flushing we observe that the developers only refer to the view
from Falmouth; we feel our interests are ignored, and our Parish
Council is moribund and ineffective. Your site gives us good ammunition,
to add to the presumption in the Carrick Plan against development
such as this in the Conservation Area."
(part of an email to Save our Foreshores) |
"I would strongly urge that the planning committee
refuse this proposed development which can only be detrimental to
this historic area of Falmouth in which stand many beautiful and
listed buildings. The development would detract from the town and
be out of character with the local area." (part
of an email from Somerset to Falmouth & Carrick Councils) |
"I have been sent the development proposal
by a friend of mine who actually lives in an apartment just along
from the Greenbank and when I visit her I sit in the window most
of the time admiring the view. I think it would be appalling to
lose that view for the sake of a hotel which, as you state, will
probably end up as apartments – the owner of the Greenbank
has to recoup the monies that is needed to build somehow. I will
be writing to the Council." (part
of an email to Save our Foreshores) |
"Great website and campaign - well done
to all. It is possible to stop these developments if enough people
act collectively (we’ve fought several campaigns about proposed
developments near Gyllyngvase beach) We will write/e-mail as suggested."
(part of an email to Save our Foreshores)
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"I came to Falmouth as a young boy and
from the first was entranced by the unique atmosphere of this town.
There can be very few people who know the area under discussion
better than I do. As a child I went to the Penwerris Infant School
and spent many happy hours on the foreshore in question, fishing,
digging bait and enjoying one of the more beautiful areas it would
be possible to imagine. It seems extraordinary to me that anyone
who professes to love Falmouth should even consider such a development
but probably most of those people who do support it are doing it
for financial gain. If such a development is necessary from the
town’s point of view, then there are many other sites which
would be more suitable. " (a small
part of a letter emailed to Carrick Council from Surrey) |
Local press comments |
Comments from the Falmouth
Packet and the West
Briton newspapers following the second meeting organised by
the Residents Association. |
Stand in Falmouth on Saturday 6th December |
A group of Save our Foreshores volunteers manned
a stand in Falmouth town centre on Saturday 6th December, handing
out leaflets, encouraging people to come to the hotel's presentation
on 9th December, and collecting nearly 350 signatures of people
who wished to protest about the Greenbank Hotel development. |
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